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Today’s Abundance of Music News!

In lieu of making a bunch of posts to catch up on some stuff, I’ve decided to stick it all in one today. Lots has been happening in the last couple days, so here we go!

1. Dan Mangan’s album preview:
If you love Dan Mangan and are anxiously awaiting his September 27th release Oh, Fortune (Arts & Crafts) you’ll be happy to know that you can download the title track here. All it takes is your email to get Dan delivered straight to your inbox. On a sidenote, a big congrats to Dan for his performance July 1st on the Hill. It was great! If you’d like to hear some of his other new songs, click here.

2. Herohill’s Gordon Lightfoot tribute:
You’ve probably already heard about this, but in case you didn’t, Canadian-based blog Herohill got a bunch of talented musicians to record all the Lightfoot gems. The result is a 36-track tribute album from 36 artists, including Sound Vat favourites like Folly & the Hunter, The Wheat Pool, Quiet Parade, The Warped 45s, Octoberman, Dog Is Blue and many others. Best of all? It’s free. Get it right here.

3. Valdy and the Order of Canada!
That’s right, Valdy is soon to become a member of the Order of Canada. It’s well deserved for this folk-roots Canadian pioneer. Here’s the story!

4. Joyful sounds of Topanga: I’ve been promising the talented boys of Topanga a mention for awhile, and until now haven’t got around to it. However, a couple days ago they released an acoustic video for a song of theirs, The Shield, shot at Ash Bridges bay in Toronto. This performance is full of infectious joy and put a huge smile on my face. Take a couple minutes from your day, and check it out. While you’re at it, have a listen to Topanga’s other stuff. Watch the video here, get acquainted with Topanga (and download their EP free) here.

5. Delhi 2 Dublin’s road trip mixtape:
B.C.-based high energy music group Delhi 2 Dublin put together a Listener’s Choice road trip mixtape this Canada Day weekend. In their words, “we dug up a bunch of the tunes, did some editing, and wove them together into the most schizophrenic roadtrip mix we’ve ever listened to.” That’s it in a nutshell. Grab the tunes here. Also, another big congratulations go out to Delhi 2 Dublin for their fantastic opening in Ottawa this weekend. What a great way to start Canada Day celebrations!

6. WCMA Nominations:
Recently, the nominees for the West Coast Music Awards were announced. They’re a great bunch this year as always. A .pdf version of the list is available just for you, right over here. Big congrats to David Vertesi, Imaginary Cities, The Liptonians, The Pack a.d., The Sheepdogs, We Are the City, Del Barber, Christine Fellows, and File Under Music for their nominations!

7. Joel Sweet
Joel Sweet is from Toronto, and he plays fantastic good folk music. No drums, no bass, just the bare minimums. Yes, harmonica is a bare minimum. PLEASE take the time to check this man out. His album is available on Bandcamp for listening and buying. To hear someone else’s thoughts on his May 2011 album Born & Raised, head over to Grayowl Point, who made this discovery possible.

8. Kalle Mattson and Southern Souls
Ottawa-based quartet Kalle Mattson and the good people at Southern Souls got together to shoot a couple videos, including one for a song that has yet to be released. Catch the videos here.

9. New song from Arkells
Hamilton’s 5-piece rock band Arkells are hoping to release and album in the Fall, and recently released a single from it called Whistleblower. You can listen to it here. They’re also on tour, so check your calendars!

That’s it for today! Hope you all had a great Canada day weekend, and continue to have a great summer, filled with great music.